Things I don't like about the XJ... and alternatives?

I love the XJ's for the most part, but there are things about it that I could really do without and wish there were more options. I'd like to know what options I have, if any, for replacing without major fabrication or modifications.

For example, I hate the look of the megaphone mufflers. Sportster mufflers are an example of a great looking alternative with only a minimum amount of modification.

The foot pegs on the XJ's are downright ugly to me. What options do I have to replace those?

It annoys me to no end that the speedometer on the XJ's only go up to 80 MPH. I'll likely never go that fast on the bike, but seeing that makes me feel like it isn't getting the respect it deserves, lol. Most of them are sun faded anyway. I'd like to have a speedo and tach match up for less than the cost of both bikes I've bought together.

The black controls on the handebars. From the master cylinder to the start stop to the light controls. I'd love to have something chrome or satin finish like most new bikes. What can be swapped out with minimal reworking?

Ideas?

 

I'll agree with you on the pegs. I'm not a huge fan, but the alternatives I think are ugly. They only make but so many pegs and stuff for bikes, and they're all geared towards highway style. I'll stick with stock.
I just painted my handlebar controls and mirrors flat black, a very satiny black. Looks good.
My Speedo doesnt stop at 80 though.
-SLK

 

My speedo doesn't stop at 80 either...

 

You could use Virago Pegs front and back or go with floor boards



Guages you can swap out...

 

Check ebay for mini tachs and speedos. I don't run a tach, just a mini speedo from ebay. Checked it with the GPS and it is spot on. I had to modify the connection a little. It was made for a cable with a smaller thread size (about half the size of the threads on the original speedo) so I cut the theaded part off the original, drilled it out, and JB welded it on top of the mini speedo's threads. Works perfect. Only problem I have with it is the back light isn't very bright.

If you keep searching, I am sure you can find some pegs off of another bike that would work with some modification, or you could go to TC Brothers, and get forward controls.

www.Mikesxs.net has some good looking handlebar controls, that may require some wiring, but would work. or you could do what I did, and take all the controls off the handlebars, don't run signal lights, and use a key switch. you will also have to fix up a new enricment lever, mine is from a lawn mower.

Mikesxs also has some nice tachs and speedos that you may be able to make work. An electrical tach made for an xs may not work on the xj though. XJ's coils fire twice for every one rotation, so you may be reading double the rpm

 

Just read the description for one of the tachs on Mike's XS. It says "Tach functions only with single dual output type ignition coils" I think that means that the coil on an xs fires twice for every single engine revolution just like an xj.

 

Holy crap fitz, those look brand new, how'd ya get em so nice

 

The speedo IS brand new; NOS for $20 off eBay because it was mislisted and no one was bidding...

The tach is an old original with the needle repainted to make it look more similar (pending installation of an exactly matching electronic tach.) The other gauges had their needles repainted.

 

My speedo goes above 80.

Anyway when I had to replace my clutch lever, read dropped my bike and I broke it, I went to the local motorcycle salvage. I got brushed aluminum levers for the clutch and the brake that came off a Virago. They look pretty damn nifty with the sliver pin striping and chrome I've put on the bike.

 

Love that "parts room" engineering! Yamaha themselves did it BIG TIME in the era our bikes are from, you're (we're) just kicking it up a notch.

+1

 

I got it about 85mph, I looked down and those dotted white lines... was one solid white line. Scared the shnit outta myself lol

 

The cool part about my retrofitted (XJ900 I believe) speedo is that in top gear, the tach and speedo needles maintain about the same positions on their respective dials; just like any self respecting sports car or my Norton. Analog harmony...

 

So that's a 900 speedo eh?

How much RETROFITTING did it need?

My speedo stops @ 85 and I hate maxing it out... er

 

The back of the instrument itself has a different style supporting flange for the input bearing part. I had to carve out my cluster to fit the different style and change how it mounted slightly. Quick work with a Dremel and a small flat file.

The Yamaha mechanical speedometers from around 1978 or so (maybe even earlier) right up thru the early 90's are virtually identical. There are slight variations in the angle of the input bearing support in relation to the instrument frame; and two or three different "styles" of the support flange. There were two basic trip odo types, one with the reset knob on the side, and one with a "push to reset" mechanism. Using the "push" type in place of the knob type requires an amputation in most cases.

I'll put together some pics of how I did mine; they won't relate directly to anything except a Seca 550 but you'll be able to see the challenges I mentioned.

 

Has anyone used any of those gauges off of Mikesxs and have pics of them? The guages are 2.5" wide and I'm not sure what it would look like on the bike and I don't want to drop $100 just to experiment a bit. Fitz, I like the look of yours, but the XJ650s don't have a gas level float and the 750 tanks are impossible to find anymore (I've been looking for close to a year).

 

Coach.
You must not been looking hard enough, but then again, I just did my swap last month.
This is my set up:
Notice how my tachometer is smaller than the speedo, because that's the only tachometer Mike'sxs has that will work on a non cable driven tach.



In my case, I know I get anywhere's from 42 to 50 MPG, so since I don't have the fuel gauge anymore, I just fill every 200 miles or open the gas cap to see if I have gasoline in the tank.

And by the way, there ARE XJ750 tanks available on ebay from time to time. I have two at the moment but wont part until I can find a decent XJ650 SECA tank. :wink:

 

I have a good XJ650 Maxim tank that I'd be more than happy to trade. Two of them actually.

Those look pretty good. I'm assuming one is the 2.5 and the smaller one is the 1.9?

 

Coach:
The speedo is actually a 2.25" and the tach is a 1.9" indeed. I actually like the way it turned out. I have to take new photos though. on that photo the speedo is a bit slanted to the left.

I am planning on keeping my spare tank until I find a good 650 SECA tank. I really can't use a maxim tank, sorry. Oh and I must have forgotten to mention that my tanks are both 750 seca tanks. Whoops

What look are you going for again?

 

Wanting to stay with the stock look with just modest changes really. I love the look of the Maxims for the most part. The 750 tank would just be more of a functionality thing than me wanting to change the look of the tank. I'd like to be able to get 200 miles out of her instead of 120-130 (on a good day).

I already have sportser mufflers to get rid of the megaphones. I'd like chrome switches (I think they were Harley swaps) on the bars like I saw someone on the forum recently did, but can't remember who and can't find the thread.

That and swap out the pegs 80 MPH guage and I would be happy.

 

Coach,
could you tell us (me) more about your muffler swap, got pics? how much fabrication... Both my mufflers look guttted when you look in them

 

I agree with getting rid of the 80 MPH speedo. I really like what Fitz did with his gauges. Wish there were after market replacement speedos we could pop into our gauge sets. The gauge faces really are subject to sunfade so It would also be nice to get tach faces that would fit also.
If my bike has to sit in the sun for any amount of time I use a shower cap to cover my gauges so the sun doesnt eat them up.

As far as anything else the seats on these bikes are not made for long rides. I went on a 175 mile trip and my backside was numb for and hour when we got to where we were going. I'm going to take a spare seat and get it redone with more padding and see if that helps.

MN

 

The solution for your seat woes: http://www.sargentcycle.com/custserv.htm
Check out the "Road to Comfort" link and their foam alteration guide. The super-cell "Atomic Foam" is really cool stuff.

I had them do the seat on my '81 as a "basic recovering" but when I sent in the seat from the '83 I went with Atomic Foam, and raised/flattened the riding platform a little bit. It gave me more leg room on the bike and I can ride all day with no ill effect. Of course the wide, flat seat on the Seca gives me quite a bit of room to shift my position as well.

 

This is the exact kind of mufflers I have and the thread gives a good idea on what has to be done to plug the crossover holes.

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1 ... flers.html

I don't have a welder, so I took it to an exhaust shop. They simply got rid of the old and welded up the new and mounted with exhaust hangers.

This is the thread where I asked looking for ideas. What will work will depend on you style of mufflers that you pick up. Unfortunately, "sportster mufflers" is used as a generic term on the board, but they have different designs for different bikes and years. All of them will work though.

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1 ... flers.html

 

FWIW I don't think they are 900 instruments - the redline is too high.

 

The tach is an original Seca 550 mechanical tach repainted to more closely match the speedo.

The speedo was NOS, the seller had it listed as being from a Seca 750 (it was in a box with the Seca 750 speedo's pn) but it's NOT from a Seca 750. It took me quite a bit of poking about on the innanet to determine it was from a 900. Some models FZ/FJ600 had a similar speedo but it only goes to 135.

 

I'm assuming your paying attention Chacal. :wink:

 

Aha - gotcha

Nice work on making it all fit together so sweetly :wink:

 

Take a look @ Wiz's XJ900 Project, no close ups of the gauges but it looks to be the same as the one Fitz has.

Wiz doesn't like/respond to me so I won't ask him for a closeup pic

 

Thanks; you're making me give away my secrets here--- truth be told, even though the speedo was brand new, and HAD an orange needle, I repainted it too so they would match completely. I also repainted the fuel and voltmeter needles to match. Admittedly not an "original/stock" configuration, but it looks right. I have a "matching" electronic tach from an FJ600 (white needle, but...) that's slated for installation some time in the near future.

 

Coach, any pics of the larger tank you have? I am interested? PM me with it. Thanks!

 

I don't have a larger tank, I was saying I would like to have one. I have two XJ650 Maxims with the original stock tanks. The 750 tank matches up nicely and if you want a fuel gauge, then it's a good option. I know there are several 650 owners on the board that swapped out, but can't think of who it is off the top of my head.

 

Could you send me a pic of the 750 tank?

 

Oops read the last post wrong, sorry

 

You are selling the 750...right? How much????

 

No, not selling a 750 tank. I have two stock 650 tanks that came with my 650 Maxims. Been on the lookout for a reasonably priced 750 tank for a while now.

 

im probably gonna get flamed for this but i adapted my original footpeg brakets slightly to fit aftermarket HD pegs they have lots of variety and their cheap at swap meets around here. just grind alttile off the peg bend the braket a little and they fit